Trump announces US withdrawal from UNESCO

The United States is expected to withdraw from the United Nations' cultural and educational agency, UNESCO, after Donald Trump requested a review of the organization's presence. The review was scheduled for 90 days, starting in February, but the decision was announced by a White House spokeswoman in a statement to the New York Post .

The main reasons behind the departure announcement were "diversity, equity, and inclusion policies," as well as "pro-Palestinian and pro-China biases." When the US President announced the 90-day review, he emphasized the importance of determining whether there were "anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiments" within UNESCO.

"President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO — which supports woke causes, a divisive culture, and other causes that are completely out of line with the policies chosen by American voters last November," said spokesperson Anna Kelly, highlighting the organization's 2023 "anti-racism toolkit" and its "Transforming MEN'talities" initiative, which aimed to promote "change in mindsets" by highlighting "positive masculinity narratives and practices" and praising ways to "successfully engage men and boys in gender equality."

The Trump administration official further claims that UNESCO used its executive board to "force anti-Israel and anti-Jewish actions" by designating Jewish places of worship as "Palestinian World Heritage Sites." She also reinforces the language used by the agency when describing the conflict between Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu's forces, mentioning the "occupation" of Palestinian territory and condemning Israeli offensives in Gaza.